Monthly Favourites: October 2015

Winter is coming! Now that we have finally gotten Hallowe’en out of the way I can be utterly justified in lighting my Christmas-themed candles and eating as much Quality Street chocolate as humanely possible, who’s with me?! October has been a rather experimental month for me in regards to make up and other purchases, with a few items creeping onto my bank statements that I wouldn’t normally opt for. Before I jump right in however, I want to say a major thank you to you all for putting up with my sporadic posts lately due to coursework commitments. Your lovely comments keep me smiling! So without further ado, here’s everything that I’ve been obsessed with throughout October…

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24HR Creamy Mattes in ‘Crème De Nude’, £4.99: This is a bit of a dupe for Mac’s paint pots, and definitely more budget-friendly. It may come as a surprise to you, but sometimes I actually opt for simple eye make up! I found this little pot super handy for evening out the skintone of my eyelids for days when I want a more natural make up look. Furthermore, the matte formula and fleshy-nude tone means it also makes a fantastic eyeshadow primer.

Nars Duo Eyeshadow in ‘Kuala Lumpur’, £25: I was instantly drawn to the stunning rich cranberry and rose-gold tones of this duo which will be perfect for the festive season, plus this colour combination does wonderful things for making blue eyes really pop. The pigmentation of any Nars eyeshadow is exceptional, and they last for ages (literally years!) without ever hitting the pan, therefore I do consider them a worthwhile investment despite the hefty price tag. This duo creates a very shimmery multi-dimensional effect, but there are also matte options available!

(L-R) Kuala Lumpur, Crème De Nude

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in ‘Train Bleu’, £19: The formulation of these lip pencils are everything. The actual product is more like a chunky lip crayon but with the staying power of a matte pencil. However, true to its name, it has a demi-matte finish which wears well on the lips, even those prone to dryness in winter! I have worn the autumnal berry look to death since the first leaves started to turn, so I needed to vamp my look up a bit for those colder months. I’ve never really tried a super dark colour before so this was a little out of my comfort zone but I’m so glad I did. The deep and mysterious purple did amazing things for my confidence; what says ‘I can take on the world’ better than a truly statement lip! The best thing about this product is that you can make it as intense as you like, or you can create a wonderful (and perhaps more wearable) ombré effect by lining your lips with it before applying your usual red or nude lipstick.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in ‘Sabbath’, £15.50: Also during this month I decided to change a fundamental aspect of my make up – the black eyeliner. Okay, so navy maybe isn’t all that drastic, but baby steps! I tried this drawn along my top lash line instead of liquid eyeliner and was very pleased with the results, but I don’t know if I could completely abandon the clean, precise detail of a liquid eyeliner for long! It was also lovely smudged under my lower waterline since the navy really accentuated the blueness of my eyes (olive and hazel pencils would be lovely for green and brown eyes). I’m utterly in love with the formulation as this pencil is creamy and easy to smudge and blend into place… before setting for ever and ever and ever until the end of time! I may need one in every colour.

(L-R) Train Bleu, Sabbath

YSL Black Opium, £64: So this one is more of a re-visitation than a new favourite! I fell in love with this perfume when my boyfriend bought me it last Christmas. I’m not great at describing scents, but this is definitely very masculine and musky compared to a more sweet and feminine option. The dark coffee, floral and vanilla notes are a really intriguing mix which creates a very seductive and dark combination. I would recommend this as a night-time perfume, and it is especially suitable for Autumn/Winter. In fact wear it all the time! I particularly love spritzing it onto woolly scarves and then catching whiffs of it every time I snuggle into them. Mmmmm.

New Look Faux-Leather A-Line Skirt, £14.99: I’m more of a jeans kind of girl, so of course that had to be changed during this highly adventurous month for me! I tried on and fell in love with this skirt as it is exceptionally flattering due to the A-line silhouette. The rich brown colour is perfect for winter as it can be paired with all of the classic colours of the season (grey, cream, camel, burgundy, black) and look effortlessly stylish. Plus the leather is a fun way to add a bit of texture to an outfit! I especially love pairing it with roll-neck tops in order to channel some 90’s flair. Why not.

Gmyle White Marble IPhone 6S Case, £6.98: So a major favourite I treated myself to this month has been my new IPhone 6S, but I know next to nothing about describing technology specifications. So I’ll leave it at this; it’s seriously pretty (rose-gold!), it’s a massive step up in terms of functionality from my old 4S, it has a bigger screen perfect for Netflix on the go, the camera is a huge improvement and the actual phone feels seriously sleek and swanky. Must. Not. Drop. Plus I actually got it on a very reasonable contract (£36 a month – check out Carphone Warehouse) which surprised me most of all! I also adore this case I found on Amazon, because nothing states elegance and minimalist beauty like crisp white marble. It’s definitely a lot more suitable for a 22-year-old than the bedazzled/cartoon varieties found in most high street stores. But each to their own!

Also, last week I did a guest post over on Chanelle Hayley’s blog for her ‘Meet the Blogger’ series. Check it out if you have the opportunity, and give Chanelle’s other posts a little attention too – she’s fantastic!

I get exactly the same way, no wonder my bank account is so horrifying by the end of the month! The colour scheme of this duo would be perfect for the festive season 😝 I’m pleased you liked the pictures!! Thanks for commenting x